Non-conceptualism and the Myth of the Given

DANIEL ENRIQUE KALPOKAS

Dialectica

Wiley

Año: 2018 vol. 72

Defenders of non-conceptualism have been accused of falling into the Myth of the Given. This is John McDowell´s main objection to non-conceptualism. In this article I evaluate some well-known non-conceptualist responses to that objection. My analysis shows that non-conceptualists have not provided plausible explanations for the epistemic role of experience. As a consequence, McDowell´s objection seems to be correct. The structure of the article is as follows: first, taking into account the debate between conceptualists and non-conceptualists, I shed light on what the Myth of the Given is. Second, I critically examine Richard Heck´s, Christopher Peacocke´s and Robert Hanna´s proposals on how experiences justify beliefs. I end the article by clarifying the scope of McDowell´s criticism.